Smarter not Harder

That is a phrase that I have been having trouble with. Ever since the day I started blogging I have struggled with home and work balance. It is not easy and I struggle even more now. I write two blogs and for some reason have had a hard time letting go of the notion that I need to post everyday.
It has left me reeling at times. I end up with so much scheduled that the smallest thing, such as the kids getting the flu, throws me out of whack and puts me behind. I’m not reaching my goals and this year that ends. This year I’m working smarter not harder.

I wrote out my January schedule for each blog a month or so ago. It was just the articles I want to write. No reviews or sponsored posts or cover reveals were included. When I looked at all of those posts all I could think was how was I going to get it all done. A few days ago I was standing in the shower when it hit me.

I don’t have to write that many posts per month. I don’t need something every single day. I don’t need to cover every category every single week. On either blog! I can rotate and mix things up. That is the joy of being the one person who makes the decisions.

Don’t Worry I’m Still Writing!

I know everyone is thinking that means I won’t be writing articles and such. That is not the case at all. It just means that I am making the effort to not spend hours a day at the desk. This year I am learning the power of saying no even if that no is to myself. I wrote in planned off days. To the point that I made sure the blocks on my calendar couldn’t be written in. I scheduled vacation time and other stuff that I wanted to do but never seem to have the time. I wrote out a before daily work schedule. One that allows me to do each task without feeling overwhelmed.

Projects Vs. Tasks

That is another thing that I am taking the time to realize the difference. I write down all of these things on my daily to do list and then barely get any of them finished. I realized thought hat many of them are projects that just can’t be done in one day with the amount of time allotted. I need to break that project down into tasks that allow me to reach the goal of having the project done.

Trying to get everything done in one day or cram as much into a single day isn’t productive. It leaves me overworked, tired, and generally in a bad mood. 2019 I plan on being much happier. I have a plan to work smarter not harder and be more productive because of it.